Joe Alexander, drafted No. 8 by the Bucks in 2008, holds the distinction of being the highest pick ever to have his third-year option declined.
That option must be decided prior to a player’s second season, and Milwaukee was so certain Alexander would be a bust, it chose following his rookie year to cut him loose. Before Alexander’s rookie contract expired, the Bucks traded him to the Bulls.
Sure enough, after the two guaranteed years on his deal, Alexander fell out of the league.
Now, he has a chance to return.
Shams Charania of RealGM:
Free agent forward Joe Alexander has signed a training camp contract with the Denver Nuggets, league source tells RealGM.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 24, 2014
The Nuggets have 13 players with guaranteed contracts plus Quincy Miller ($150,000 guaranteed), Erick Green ($50,000 guaranteed) Jerrelle Benimon ($35,000 guaranteed) and Marcus Williams.
There’s a crowd fighting for those final roster spots, and it’s tough to see Alexander emerging ahead. He was dismal in the NBA, and although he was a D-League All-Star in 2011, he was ho-hum there last year.
This is Alexander’s second straight training-camp invite. He was cut by the Warriors last year.
Alexander is talented enough to hang around the league – probably not good enough to land on a regular-season roster, though.
